China’s Socially Networked Repression

Essentially, this is a score that follows you for life. It’s public and accessible.

It goes down: If you break any rules, say bad things online, pay a creditor late, or any of a rapidly expanding list of immoral things…

A negative score impacts your ability to access government services. The companies you can buy products from (they don’t want to sell to people with low scores). Your friends and the people you can marry (they get a lower score if you have a low score).

China’s dictatorship needed a way to control an advanced, socially networked society.